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An interesting thread was started in the Colleges and University forum about Senior year GPA and veered off to credit for band and sports in High School. To end our unintentional hi-jack of that thread I'm starting another thread here for that conversation.
At your local HS, or perhaps the one you attend(ed), were band and/or sports given credit? What classes were required for graduation? Could you take them during the summer?
My son plays varsity soccer and basketball. Because of this he gets 1 semester credit towards the 1 year of pe requirrement. Even if he plays all 4 years, he only gets 1 credit. He also must take Fit for Life---no way to get out of that. So in effect he will be taking 1 semester of pe and 1 semester of Fit for Life in order to graduate.
Min Required years:
4 - English
3 - Math
2 - Social Studies (World, US)
3 - Science (1 life/1 physical)
2 - Foreign Language
2 - PE/Sports
1 - Fine art (music, theater, painting, etc)
.5 - Economics
.5 - Government
If you were college bound, they recommended 4 English, 4 Math, 3 SS, 3 science, and 3+ foreign language.
Band counted as either fine arts (concert band) or PE (marching band). Any sports team counted as PE credit. (You could also get "independent PE" credit if you were involved in some sort of physical activity off campus--we had several accomplished ballet dancers and olympic development swimmers who got their instructors to sign off on PE credits). Once you had your minimum fine art/
California community colleges offer free tuition to in-state high school students. As such, a ton of us took advantage of it. Generally summer school classes at CC were half high schoolers/half CC students, as HSers were trying to get classes out of the way. (We realized quickly that if you don't like a subject, it's a lot better to get it out of the way in 6 weeks than to suffer through a year of it!) The counselors at the high school were great about helping you sign up for the appropriate city college courses to get the credits you needed.
A lot of students took extra classes in the summer to get ahead too. We had freshmen in my calculus course, because they had been taking summer school math at the community college in junior high. It was a really competitive high school (though it was just an average public high school).
Thanks to CC courses, I graduated high school with over 20 credits at the community college.
An interesting thread was started in the Colleges and University forum about Senior year GPA and veered off to credit for band and sports in High School. To end our unintentional hi-jack of that thread I'm starting another thread here for that conversation.
At your local HS, or perhaps the one you attend(ed), were band and/or sports given credit? What classes were required for graduation? Could you take them during the summer?
At our school band is a class. You get credit for any class that you take. Our school requires .5 credit of PE and .5 credit of Fine Arts to graduate. One year of band counts for 1 credit. Students can use it for PE or Fine Arts. Marching is required.
Athletic teams do not count as a class. Students do not get credit for being on athletic teams. Even kids like my son who was on 4 varsity teams his freshman and sophmore years need to take PE in order to graduate. Our school offers regular PE, tennis, and weightlifting as PE classes. Band can also substitute for PE credit as all band members march.
I'm not sure why band wouldn't count for credit. It is taken during the regular school day, the kids have assignments and tests just like any other class. IMO they should get MORE than one credit because they meet every day during class PLUS they meet twice a week during marching season PLUS they play at the football games.
Edited to add:
I missed the last part.
Students must take 4 English, 4 Social Science, 3 Math, 3 Science, 2 Foreign Language, .5 PE, .5 Fine Arts, 120 hours community service and they must get accepted to a 4 year university.
The school offers certain classes in the summer. PE and Art are offered in the summer. There are also some academic classes offered in the summer.
Last edited by Momma_bear; 06-09-2010 at 03:19 PM..
IMO they should get MORE than one credit because they meet every day during class PLUS they meet twice a week during marching season PLUS they play at the football games.
Momma bear I was in high school band all but my senior year in school, then a band parent for the 8 years both my boys were in band. Our band met every day after school during competition season, which is usually the same length and times as football season. March at the home games on Friday nights then travel to who knows where to march in competition on Saturdays. I'm not trying to be one of those "our band is better than your band" clowns, just showing that band members do a lot of work outside of regular school hours.
And band parents should get some school credit for all the work we do with the band also! lol I'm talking from 8 years of concession stand work during football season.
Momma bear I was in high school band all but my senior year in school, then a band parent for the 8 years both my boys were in band. Our band met every day after school during competition season, which is usually the same length and times as football season. March at the home games on Friday nights then travel to who knows where to march in competition on Saturdays. I'm not trying to be one of those "our band is better than your band" clowns, just showing that band members do a lot of work outside of regular school hours.
And band parents should get some school credit for all the work we do with the band also! lol I'm talking from 8 years of concession stand work during football season.
Yes-when they have competitions they meet more often than twice a week. Twice a week is for early in the school year. Once marching season starts in earnest they do extra rehearsals and competitions on Saturday.
Yes-when they have competitions they meet more often than twice a week. Twice a week is for early in the school year. Once marching season starts in earnest they do extra rehearsals and competitions on Saturday.
We also had 3 weeks of camp during the summer. We also hosted a competition which was a lot of work. I think between show choir and band I had 18 fine arts credits at graduation. LOL I only needed 2.
4 years Language Arts
4 years social studies
3 years math
3 years science
2 years foreign language
2 1/2 years PE (including one trimester of drivers ed/first aid and 2 trimesters of health)
1 year "arts" either band, choir, drawing, dance, etc
1 trimester of a "life skills" class-cooking, sewing, etc.
1 trimester of Economics
Band is a graded class and counts toward credits for graduation, athletics are not a class, nor do they count for any credits toward anything. I would like to see the school move toward counting them toward PE credits though.
Marching band at our school starts mid July with all day practices, including a week away at band camp (where they practice from 8am-11pm for the most part). Once school starts they have practice during their band class (usually 4th hour) and then they have 2 nights/week where they practice from 6-9. They usually practice every Saturday before competitions as well. They also work in some practice time at the metrodome to prepare for regionals. The color guard and drum line start practicing in March so they are in full swing already. The hornline doesn't start until July.
When I was in high school Band/Choir was a credit course. No requirement that I remember for Fine Art other than the drawing class we took in 7th or 8th (school was 7-12 in the same building, Jr. High was 7-9, Sr. High was 10-12). Drama, Yearbook, Newspaper was extra curricular.
The system I teach in follows MD requirements of two years of Fine Art, music, drama, newspaper, yearbook, Computer Graphics, art classes. All the preceding classes are for credit. The computer class can be used as a tech credit also, especially if part of the Tech Diploma completer. JROTC, ours is Navy-urrah-is also considered Tech Ed if done 3 or 4 years.
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